OMAHA, Neb. (KMTV) — Wednesday, President Biden announced some student loan debt will be forgiven. Critics of this decision say it doesn't address the root of the problem — high and rising costs of college and university.
Senator Ben Sasse is one of them. Thursday, he told 3 News Now, President Biden's plan "just baptized the most broken parts of higher ed."
"Fundamentally, our American higher education system is broken. It’s not serving nearly enough people, and those who do attend, well enough. It’s never been more important to have a functioning dynamic higher ed system, but we need to recognize most people are not going to go four years continuous, in residence full time, while not working from 18 to 22, and then be done forever. The economy is being disrupted," Sasse said.
We took a look at the cost of tuition and fees for UNL. In the 2007-2008 school year, tuition and fees for an in-state student living on campus was $6,216. In 2021-2022, it was $9,872. That's a 58.8% increase in 15 years.
The Senator says we need to look at other options. He suggests more micro-credentials, stackable credentials, rigor and "clarity about what assessment looks like in higher ed."
Sasse served as the President of Midland University for about four years. When asked by 3 News Now, with his experience in higher education, why he believes higher education is so expensive and continues to rise, he said "there are a bunch of accreditation cartels right now that make it really difficult for any new entrance to get into higher education and to compete, and put pressure on the exit system, that don’t work very well."
EducationQuest, a nonprofit that helps students find college funding, suggests families and students look at scholarships and financial aid early, — even in their freshman and sophomore year of high school — to offset the rising cost of education. They say to submit your FASFA as soon as it becomes available.
